


Pocket Monsters

by WyrmLivvy



Category: Smallville
Genre: Characters Playing Pokemon GO, Domestic, Family, Fluff, Gen, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-08-03
Packaged: 2018-07-29 00:32:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7663171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WyrmLivvy/pseuds/WyrmLivvy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clark, Lex and Conner play Pokemon Go.  </p><p>Written for clexmas @ livejournal's Spring Fling 2016</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pocket Monsters

**Author's Note:**

> The first time I saw Lapetite Kiki's Morning Routine manip I thought Lex was holding a smartphone. Then I realized it was probably a remote. But I went and pretended it was a smartphone anyway so I could write this Pokemon Go inspired story :P 
> 
> Warnings: This is the most domestic and fluffly clex fic I have ever written but there is some angst because of my inability to leave my lgbtq angst at the door even when writing escapist fiction so warning for a scene where there is anxiety over being a visible same-sex couple in public.

Clark did not know how consuming the phenomenon would be the first time he encountered it.

He had been having breakfast with Lex. They were on the kitchen’s window seat with cereal and milk, orange juice, toast and butter on the table.

Clark thought it was nice - instead of the usual habit of Lex consuming a cup of coffee and Clark drinking in the morning sun’s rays, the two of them leaving the house at separate times. 

To Clark, families that ate meals together were closer because there was chances to talk and share in each other’s company. There was talking about plans for the day at breakfast or asking how the day went at dinner. He’s use to that growing up with his parents so it disappointed him now that it happened less frequently in their household though he knew why. Circumstances differed and Lex had his work at LexCorp’s CEO while Clark juggled his duties as Superman and journalist, especially flying off in the middle of engagements as the former. 

“Conner should be at the table with us.” Clark said in a tone that clearly meant “you should be agreeing with me about our son". “I want us to spend more time together as a family.”

Lex shrugged and crossed his feet which he had already been resting on the chair meant for Conner that was by the table. “Conner said he already ate but he’ll join us after he finishes taking Krypto for a walk. So let him be.” Lex said, not even looking up from his phone. He flicked a finger across the screen. Earlier, Clark had already seen Lex do so, several times in a row even. 

Clark frowned. Lex barely glanced away from his phone since Clark had suggested they have breakfast together. “Wait, he’s…walking the dog?” Clark asked, surprised. 

Lex nodded, grabbing a spoonful of cereal before his hands once again returned to his smartphone. 

Clark bit into a piece of toast absentmindedly. Conner usually avoided chores, of which walking the dog was one - his complaint being that Krypto was a superdog that could walk himself. But it wasn’t something that could be rushed through with powers since it was done for appearances. People knew they had a dog, therefore Krypto needed regular walks. 

Conner wanted to do any chore with superpowers, even when it wasn’t appropriate, and without exercising enough caution. Clark thought about the last time he had asked Conner to wash the dishes. X-ray vision had been needed to recover the porcelain pieces. 

Clark used his vision related powers now and of sound too, looking outside. He found his son shortly. He was indeed holding Krypto on a leash. His left hand held a smartphone. They move half a block and then Conner’s phone vibrated - Clark heard it too. 

Conner stopped moving and flicked a finger over the phone’s screen. The movement’s familiar. Clark had seen it moments ago. 

Frowning again now, Clark brought his attention back to the house’s kitchen. 

Clark laid his arm on Lex’s shoulder, pulling him closer, until their bodies were touching. 

“Your cereal’s going to get too soggy.” Clark said. They were eating breakfast together, but Lex hadn’t done anything except down half a class of orange juice and a third of his cereal. 

Clark had wanted a cozy, close morning. He was in flannel and Lex relaxed in a white t-shirt and blue jeans. Neither of them in suits. Yet even when Lex wasn’t dressed for work he was on his phone and had barely paid attention to Clark. 

Lex turned to look at Clark. “I’ll finish it in a bit.” He said. Upon really reading Clark’s expression, Lex’s changed, concerned. “Is something the matter - ” Lex began, but then his phone vibrated and he turned to look at it once again, tapping his finger. 

Clark had not looked at Lex’s phone screen because he had figured it had to do with work and Clark had not wanted to intrude upon Lex’s privacy, privacy boundaries being a thing everyone in the household had to always work on improving upon. However, Clark looked now, his curiosity having reached a peak. 

The footage on Lex’s phone was their baby blue kitchen table. A cartoon bird in 3D was sitting on it, perched on the cereal bowl. Clark watched Lex throw a red and white ball at it with a flick of his finger across the screen. 

“What is that?” Clark asked. 

“Pokemon Go.” Lex said. 

Clark listened as Lex spoke further and by the time Lex explained how to hatch eggs, Clark had connected the dots. 

“Is that why Conner’s taking Krypto for a walk of his own will?” Clark asked. Earlier, he had also seen Lex go for morning run, which had also been out of character because usually Lex sat down with his laptop open, working before he’s even at work and on days he doesn’t have to be. 

Lex nodded. “No one’s under mind control.” He added, as if reading Clark’s mind. “No spells or drugs either.” 

“Okay.” Clark said, feeling better now that he did know what was going on. But he didn’t believe the game could hold more of his husband’s attention than he could. “If you don’t want cereal, is there anything you do want? I could get it for you.” Clark said suggestively.

Lex picked up the cue and smiled, kissing him. Clark held Lex and fell deep into the kiss, happy to have the physical and mental intimacy he had been craving that morning. Then, Lex’s phone vibrated. 

Lex pulled away. 

“So what Pokemon appeared here this time?” Clark said, exasperated. “Another Pidgey?” 

“No,” Lex said, standing up and apparently about to leave the room. “Conner just texted me. There’s a Magnemite where he is.” 

“A what?” Clark said, but Lex was already gone. 

—

Clark reached Conner before Lex does. By the time Lex does arrive, Clark had already signed up and caught his starter, a Charmander. He catches the Magnemite too, which, it turned out as its name suggested, was made of magnets. Clark still doesn’t understand the appeal of the game but Lex and Conner were clearly addicted. 

Once Lex was present the four of them, two fathers and their son, plus the dog, ended up walking around the neighborhood together. 

“Is this better?” Lex asked Clark, squeezing Clark’s hand lightly. “Like you wanted, spending time together as a family?” 

“Yes,” Clark smiled, because it was nice walking around and visiting PokeStops together, many of which were artworks he had not noticed in the past. 

They aren’t the only ones of course, wherever Clark looked there seemed to be packs of people congregated around the stops, all looking at their phones and playing. The old anxiety flared up again. 

Clark was practically invincible. He could burn things to a crisp with his eyes. He’s fought literal gods but Clark’s nervous now, holding hands with his husband in public. 

It was something couples did that Clark had taken for granted when he had dated Lana in high school. It’s different because he and Lex were both men. Because if they held hands people would not mistake them for simply being friends. Clark braced himself for trouble - it had happened before, but the conversations around him aren’t about him and Lex, they’re rather mundane, and mostly about Pokemon. Clark squeezed Lex’s hand back and relaxed, reminding himself that he was over the fear now. These days, at work he mentioned his husband in conversation as casually as his male co-workers spoke about their wives or girlfriends. He no longer said spouse as he initially did in the beginning, hiding behind the gender neutrality of it. 

Clark felt the loss of pressure and warmth when Lex’s hand slipped from his. Lex had stopped walking and was pointing. Clark looked. It was a mural, and embarrassingly, was of him, or rather of Superman, painted in vivid red, blue and yellow. Of course, it was a PokeStop. 

A group of adults were having an argument loud enough for Clark to hear even without purposely using his superhearing. 

“Of course he’d be Team Mystic. He’s isn’t called Big Blue for nothing!”

“Did you forget that his cape is red - ”

“Isn’t the yellow “S” what really matters?” 

If it was audible to Clark without use of his powers, naturally Lex could hear it as well. Lex smirked and Clark shook his head, waiting for the inevitable question. 

Instead, Conner asked it. “So, what team will you be, dad?” 

Clark looked at his phone. It would still take some time and effort before he would be level 5. “I don’t know.” He said. “I was thinking Valor maybe, since my first Pokemon was Charmander.” 

Lex’s lips twitch and Clark quickly amended his statement. “I mean Instinct.” Clark said. “I’m joining Instinct for sure.” Yellow was nice and the color of sunlight. Whatever team Lex was on, Clark knew wasn’t Valor judging by his expression. Clark just hoped he had picked the right one. 

“Hmm.” Lex said thoughtfully. 

“Okay, which team did you join, Lex?” Clark asked. He turned to look at Conner, who was feeding Krypto a biscuit. “Conner?”

“Mystic.” Lex answered. 

“Valor.” Conner said. 

“Oh.” Clark blinked. “Then - ”

“Now, you said you’d join Instinct so you’d better.” Lex said. “It’s fair this way, isn’t it? Rather than you picking the same team as one of us.” 

“That’s true.” Clark said, threading his finger’s through Lex’s when his hand returned to his. 

“I had hoped we’d all join the same team, but Conner joined the same team his friends did.” Lex said. 

“I started earlier than you, dad. You could have joined Valor too, but you said it didn’t match your “philosophy” while Mystic did.” Conner said, rolling his eyes. 

One the people that had been arguing about which Pokemon Go team Superman would be in suddenly approached them. 

“Hey,” the man said, facing Clark. “Can you or - ” He looked at Lex, and down at Lex’s fingers entwined with Clark’s. “- your boyfriend, help my friends and I settle something?”

“No.” Clark said, and immediately felt bad upon seeing the man’s disappointed expression. “I mean, I can help,” Clark amended. He doesn’t let go of Lex’s hand. “I meant no, as in he’s not my boyfriend.” Clark looked at Lex. “He’s my husband.” 

“Oh. Sorry for my mistake.” The man said, his expression became serious. “Now, do you think Superman would be Team Valor, Team Mystic, or Team Instinct and why?”

“Uh…” Clark said, aware of the man’s friends listening in their direction attentively. 

“Do you guys wonder which team Superboy would join too?” Conner asked suddenly. 

Clark and Lex both turned and gave Conner a Look. 

“Hmm.” The man said, swiping his phone to respin the PokeStop. “I think Superboy would be Team Valor because his “S” is red and Superman is Instinct because his “S” is yellow.” 

“That’s a interesting theory.” Lex said, his expression a pokerface. 

“Holy shit. That guy actually guessed right.” Conner said later when they were seated at a restaurant and Krypto was outside rescuing people that weren’t paying enough attention to their surrounding while playing Pokemon Go. Clark had noticed that was a pattern. During their earlier walk he had intervened discreetly a number of times. 

“Lex, did you pick this restaurant for any particular reasons?” Clark asked.

“You like Chinese food.” Lex said. “This place also has a sushi bar and I like sushi.” 

“And we can spin three PokeStops from here.” Conner said. 

“Exactly.” Lex said. 

Clark sighed. “Look, I think since we’re having dinner we should all put away our phones and - ”

“No.” Conner and Lex said simultaneously. 

“I want us to talk.” Clark said. 

“Okay.” Conner said, proceeding to talk about nothing but Pokemon Go, with Lex joining him. 

Clark listened as Conner mentioned how Keystone City and Gotham were much like Metropolis. The cities all had an abundance of Rattata and Pidgey except Keystone also had an abundance of Growlithe where Gotham had Doduo and Metropolis had Drowzee. 

“Why is it like that?” Clark said, pointing at his phone because he felt left out. The PokeStops around them were different. While walking earlier today he had noticed that some of them looked like that, blue and spilling pink things, what he thought was either flower petals or hearts. He had not asked then but was taking the time to ask now. The three that could be spun from the restaurant were all raining pink. 

Conner gave a short explanation, taking Clark’s phone and pointing at the Lures in the Shop. 

“Hmm.” Clark said, suspicious and proved right when he tapped the PokeStops and read that a user named “alexandertheg8” had placed them all. 

Clark doesn’t want to argue. The Lures were already set and looking around the restaurant it was clear that they were far from being the only ones playing Pokemon Go. Even the waiter commented on it. 

“You guys can catch the Pokemon that spawn but can we please talk about something besides Pokemon Go?” Clark asked. 

The conversations does shift and Lex and Conner began to talk about plans for a hiking trip. On the surface they appeared to have stopped. However, Clark does catch on. 

“Don’t forget to bring portable battery chargers.” Clark said. “Wouldn’t want to be caught short while trying to catch all the Geodude and Rhyhorn.” 

He’s utterly sarcastic and they knew he was being so but Conner actually wrote it into the notebook he carried around. 

To his surprise, when the food does arrive, Lex stowed away his phone silently. Conner copied the action shortly. Clark felt a wave of affection. 

Later, he found out that the servers had been down.

—

Clark couldn’t avoid Pokemon Go at work. Not when his co-workers were writing about it or spending their lunch breaks playing it, and not when the Daily Planet was a PokeStop, and worse, its neighbor across the street - the LexCorp building, was a Gym. It mainly switched between blue and red, occasionally turning yellow. 

Clark’s polishing a draft but it’s hard to concentrate when Lois’ heels, red like the team she was in, clacked on the floor. She’s circled his desk before. It was a habit for her and Clark was used to it, usually being able to successfully tune it out. But he couldn’t now and honestly admitting to himself he knew it wasn’t so much the heels that was bothering him but rather the reason for why she was pacing - Pokemon Go. 

He has a grudge against it now, after having stopped at least three almost robberies because the almost victims did not, as the game’s opening screen empathized, pay attention to their surroundings. There was also the mild panic he had last night at 2 am when he had arrived home after having finally switched out of Superman mode only to discover that neither his husband or his son were in the house. It turned out they were at a nearby park, where at least a dozen other people were present, all of them playing Pokemon Go. 

Clark turned his attention back to his draft. The sound had stopped because Lois was sitting now and tapping her phone. 

Clark wondered what she had hatched until he caught himself, remembering he wasn’t suppose to care about the game. 

“Clark, look.” Lois grinned, holding her phone by his face. 

Clark sighed. It wasn’t ignorable after all. “What is it?” 

“A cutie. Look!” 

Clark looked at the phone screen. She had hatched a small, round and pink Pokemon. He vaguely recalled it was called a Jigglypuff. 

Clark blinked upon seeing that she had named the creature “Superman”. 

“What - why did you name that Superman?” Clark said, baffled. 

“Isn’t it obvious?” Lois said, holding her phone closer until it almost touched Clark’s nose, like that would help him see the answer. “His eyes are blue.” Lois said. 

Clark realized she was talking about Superman and the Jigglypuff. 

“And the curl.” She pointed at the top of the Jigglypuff. 

Clark self-consciously touched his neatly combed hair before he caught himself, hastily lowering his hand. 

“It’s blue again.” Lois said.

Clark had another moment of worry, wondering if his eyes had turned from green to blue but Lois was looking outside and frowning in the direction of LexCorp. She began tapping furiously. 

Minutes later, the Gym turned red again, with a Jigglypuff put in as a defending Pokemon.

—

Clark doesn’t play Pokemon Go until it’s reasonable to. Therefore when he does and the game wouldn’t work, he got upset. 

Lex’s sitting in the house’s office on his laptop, when Clark seated himself on a nearby chair, asking if Lex could figure out what was wrong. 

“Are the servers down again?” Lex asked, making a comment about how LexCorp could provide much stronger servers. 

Clark raised an eyebrow.

“I’m kidding.” Lex said, though it was clear he seriously considered it. 

Clark explained his situation. The PokeStops would not give him items. Whenever he spun one it spun, but didn’t stop or turn purple. Every Pokemon he’s seen had fled from him and he could not catch any. 

“I’m sure I know what the issue is.” Lex said. “But I’m still going to ask what you were doing before these changes occurred.”

Clark explained how he had been in New York but then had to deal with a situation in California. He tried to spin a PokeStop after things had been dealt with. 

“Right now, you can’t spin or catch anything because you’re banned.” Lex said. 

“Banned? Why?” Clark said, shocked. “Do I have to start over?” 

“No, it’s a soft ban. Temporary. It’ll be gone in a few hours or half a day” Lex said. “You were banned because Pokemon Go thought you were cheating.”

“But when did I cheat? How do people even cheat in this game?” 

“GPS spoofing.” Lex said. “People have always been using programs to make applications think their GPS location is elsewhere. Maybe an American on a dating app wants to see how hot local singles look like in France. And now there’s certainly people using it to catch Pokemon beyond their own backyards. However, the game knows you’re cheating if you change continents or states in under a second.” Lex smirked. “Because that’s _impossible_ unless you’re modifying your coordinates.”

Clark slumped. 

“Don’t feel bad.” Lex laughed. “Conner already did the same thing earlier, trying to catch a Dratini in Gotham.”

“Then I guess you’re way ahead of both of us?”

“Yes.” Lex confirmed, typing. 

Clark noted that Lex’s phone was nowhere in sight. He glanced at the screen, expecting Lex to be playing Pokemon Go on his laptop somehow. He doesn’t doubt Lex’s ability to figure out such a set up. I’d be child’s play for him. But instead it was just a work related letter that he was composing. 

Since Lex was busy, Clark left the office, and decided to find Krypto and feed him. 

Less than ten minutes later, Clark was back in the office, with Lex’s phone in his hand. There was still a few strands of white dog fur on it. 

“Lex,” Clark said, giving Lex the phone. “I would ask what you were doing but I think I have an idea - your egg is ready to hatch.”

“How about I let you hatch and name this one?” Lex said. 

It’s a transparent attempt at soothing Clark’s annoyance but he took it anyway, tapping the ready to hatch egg. Clark watched as the egg hatched into…six eggs. Five of them had faces while one was obscured by the others but its top clearly cracked open, its yellow yolk exposed. 

Clark typed in a name before he held it out for Lex to read, his grin impish. 

“Lexeggcute.” Lex said, reading out the name. 

“He _is_ pretty cute.” Clark said. 

“I walked right into that one.” Lex huffed, laughing. 

“You did.” Clark said. “And I’m pretty sure having Krypto walk for you is cheating.”

“Yes, well, which of us is banned?” 

Clark crossed his arms, mock offended.

“Okay, I will no longer tie my phone to Krypto.” Lex said. 

“Or another dog. No other animals either.” Clark said. “Or robots.” He added. 

“I promise I won’t.” Lex said. 

—

“Need any help?” Clark asked. 

“No need, dad.” Conner said. “Dad’s already helping me.”

Clark observed from the stairs. Conner and Lex were working on a project in the basement. He recognized the scattered pieces. It was the old model train set that Clark thought he had long outgrown. 

Lex was sitting by the pile, marking down modifications to a blueprint of a planned path that Conner had handed him, the two working with energy and purpose. 

Clark watched, smiling. His help was not needed here, but it was elsewhere. He left the basement and flew off to rescue people as Superman. 

When he returned just as Conner and Lex finished. The train tracks circled the whole basement. 

Clark was about to compliment their engineering but then he noticed that the model train had passengers. 

“There’s still room on the caboose.” Conner said, pointing at the top of the train section Clark could put his phone on top. 

“It’s not a robot.” Lex said, picking up his phone from the train and tapping at an egg on the screen. 

Clark looked at the basement and the tracks. He looked at the train and a phone on top of it. He looked at his own phone. 

There are alot of things he could say. 

“Good work.” Clark said, deciding he couldn’t be mad after all. Because the setup was an achievement even if it probably went against the spirit of the game. But spending time together as a family was what he has wanted and Conner and Lex had worked together to produce this automated Pokemon Go egg hatching thing. He wished he had helped them build it. 

Conner grinned and high fives Lex, who does appear surprised. He looked at Clark. 

Clark sat on the ground with them, placing his phone on the train the next time it circled by. 

“Remember that possible hiking trip you guys discussed at the restaurant?” Clark said. “I want to go along too.”


End file.
